How to ship car from California to New York?

Terrific weather, the hub of all things Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and a beautiful coastline- these are all things that define an outstanding standard of living in California. It is because of these features along with many others that make California is one of the best cities to live in. 

When you choose to move to California, it is highly likely that you will be thinking about how to ship a car from California to New York. Apart from all the other stuff, you will have to move your car as well.

When you want to ship a car to another state, there are several factors you need to keep in mind, and in this blog, we help you make sense of all the clutter around how to ship your car from California to New York and vice versa.

Ways to transport a vehicle from California to New York (and vice versa)

Drive it yourself 

If you want to ship a car from California to New York, you might think that the most cost-effective way to do so is to drive it yourself. However, you should know that the distance between California and New York is nearly 2,500 miles which can take you at least 10-11 days. 

On the bright side, you will be able to carry a lot more of your personal stuff, belongings, and boxes with your stuff and save on the shipping costs by leaps and bounds. However, the cost to ship a car to California from New York via driving can be more expensive than you think. The taxes on crossing state boundaries, high rates of fuel, unexpected expenses of car maintenance, and the added costs of food and lodging for the 10 days of travel can put a huge dent in your finances. Not to mention the drive can wear you out and you may need a few days to recover from the tiredness from when you drive to ship a car from New York to California.

Hire someone to drive it for you 

Another alternative to taking the road is to get a professional driver to do it for you. These are students, retired individuals, amongst others who are professionally trained drivers, used to driving long distances. These professionals can ship car from California to New York relatively faster and know the best routes to take to avoid traffic congestion, bottlenecks, and have tricks up their sleeves. 

However, the cost to ship a car from New York to California using a professional driver is not cheap. The biggest expense will be paying the driver’s professional fees and even taking care of their food and lodging. More importantly, the risks of hiring a professional driver to ship car from New York to California far outweigh the benefits of it. There is no guarantee that the driver you have hired is trustworthy and will not dupe you. If you have an expensive or a luxury car, it is only natural to feel anxious while handing the keys to someone else to drive it for you. 

Use the train to ship it for you

If you are thinking about how much to ship a car from New York to California, you will be surprised that using train services is going to burn a giant hole in your pocket. This is not a cheap mode to ship cars from New York to California and includes many additional costs like packing, loading, unloading, and getting the required equipment to secure the car. 

Not to mention, your car will probably take up the space of an entire coach on the train and you might have to pay its steep price and requisite taxes for the same. In addition to this, shipping car from California to New York via train is not one of the preferred methods due to the cost and paperwork involved. Also, there is always a chance of the train losing traction and derailing, which might be the end for your car. Naturally, getting insurance for the same makes sense but this will further add on the mounting expenses when you consider how to ship my car from New York to California.

Use an auto transport service to ship it for you

An auto transport service company is one that deals in shipping any vehicle (two-wheeler, four-wheeler, etc.) from any part of the country to another part of the country. Some auto transport companies even offer services like shipping your car to cross-border areas in Mexico, Canada, and the like. 

The crux of choosing an auto transport company to ship my car from California to New York is how easy it is. All you have to do is find a trustworthy auto transport company, get a price quote from them, negotiate, if necessary, fill out the paperwork, and get your car picked up to be transported to the destination of your choice.

When you choose an auto transport company to ship a car from California to New York, a team of experienced transporters will arrive at the current location of the car or the pick-up location, load the car on a trailer and drive the trailer to the destination you have signed up for where it will be unloaded and handed it to you. 

All you have to make sure when you ship a car from California to New York is to assess the car for any existing damages before the team loads your car on the trailer. You will be required to do the same when the car is unloaded at the final destination in order to see if the auto transport team has taken care of your car or not. You may be liable to receive damages if your car has been damaged in any way by the team, which is highly unlikely. Therefore, you can rest assured that your car will be treated with the utmost care.

Types of auto transport shipping

Once you have decided to ship your car out from California to New York via an auto transport company, you will have to choose from the two types of auto transport shipping means. Your choice will depend on the kind of car you have, its valuation in monetary and emotional terms, and the time of season you are choosing to transport your car to another state. Not to mention, you might want to know the cost to ship a car from California to New York for both these mediums before you choose one. 

The two types of auto transport shipping are: 

1. Enclosed auto transport

This is auto shipping where the trailer that your car gets loaded on is a container and has walls on all sides to give maximum protection to your car. Essentially, it’s like your car is being shipped in a metal box and someone is driving the trailer on which the metal box is placed securely. 

The shipping car from California to New York cost via enclosed car shipping is slightly higher than its counterpart, the open auto shipping type. This is primarily because the use of a container increases the weight of the trailer, which means, the trailer has to slow down a little to ensure there is no damage to the car. Naturally, this increases the time it will take to ship a car from New York to California, which will drive the cost of the service rendered by the auto transport company and the fuel.

2. Open car transport

In contrast to the enclosed shipping type, open shipping is where your car is loaded on an open trailer and is exposed to the environment and the weather conditions. The only thing protecting the car during open car shipping are harnesses and ropes that are used to secure the vehicle on the trailer. The cost to ship a car from California to New York via this type of auto transport shipping is ‌ cheaper than enclosed auto transport.

Many-a-times, a large trailer might transport over one car to the same destination or another destination on the same route. If you are wondering how much to ship a car from New York to California, it will depend on the ‌car you have, the ‌trailer being used to transport your car, and/or whether there are other cars being transported along with yours. 

Apart from this, another factor that determines the shipping car from California to New York cost is the type of auto transport service you choose, as explained below. 

Types of auto transport services

There are two major types of auto transport services that you can choose from. Both of these auto transport services determine the speed with which your car will be picked up from the current location and the speed with which it will be shipped off to its final destination. You can choose the type that best aligns with your moving plans. 

1. Guaranteed pick up

This is the type of auto transport service where you can expect your car to be picked up from its current location within 24 hours of you booking the service to ship a car from New York to California. This is the ideal service for anyone who is looking to make a quick move from New York to California or vice versa or is moving to the city immediately and needs their car to be there, waiting for them at the earliest.

The only thing to keep in mind here is that the cost to ship a car from New York to California can be higher since the auto transport company gives you immediate service. 

2. Express shipping

This is the type of auto transport shipping where your car will get picked up for transportation within 1-2 days of you making the booking. The key here is to make a booking at the earliest to avoid any delay in the shipping.

If you are thinking about how much to ship a car from California to New York via express shipping, you should know it will be slightly cheaper than the guaranteed shipping service. However, additional factors like the time of shipping, your type of car, and the type of auto transport shipping will decide the final cost to ship the car from New York to California. 

How much does it cost to transport a car from California to New York (and vice versa)

The cost to ship a car from California to New York is highly subjective and depends on various factors that influence the final price. Here is a brief overview of the factors that define the final cost: 

Distance

As you can imagine, the distance between California and New York is long, so it will cost more to ship a car than if you were sending it within the same state. Some carriers charge flat rates, while others offer better quotes based on the distance covered. If you want to save money, you should compare different quotes from several companies and choose one that offers lower rates.

Pickup/Drop off locations

The distance between the pickup point and drop-off location also determines the cost of car transport from California to New York. If you want door-to-door delivery, it will be expensive for a long-distance trip since some expenses come with this type of delivery, such as fuel costs, toll fees, and labor costs.

Season

If you choose when to ship your vehicle, you should select a time that isn’t too busy for auto transport companies because this could help reduce your car transport costs. For example, there are much fewer cars being transported during the winter months than during the spring and summer months. This means that if you need to ship your vehicle in February, there will be less competition for carriers than during the summer, so prices will likely be lower.

Type of Shipping

The type of shipping also influences the cost of transporting a car from California to New York because some companies offer enclosed carriers while others provide just open haulers. If your vehicle is new or expensive, it is highly recommended that you use enclosed carriers because your car will stay protected from external elements and other vehicles that may be on the truck. Enclosed shipping is ideal for classic or antique cars because they will be protected against dust and dirt during transit.

Type of Vehicle  

It won’t cost as much as moving an oversized SUV or truck if you are shipping a compact sedan. Larger vehicles take up more space in the auto transport truck and weigh more, so they cost more to ship. Some cars are more complicated than others to load onto an auto transport truck because of their shape or height restrictions, which can cause additional labor costs that are passed down to you.

Apart from this, if you still feel that the cost to ship a car from California to New York is high, you can do the following to help you save a few bucks: 

1. Make a booking months in advance to beat future hikes in the transportation’s price.
2. Choose the open type of auto transportation shipping, if possible
3. Opt for the express auto transport shipping service to save more money
4. Make sure you get ample quotes from different auto transport shipping companies
5. Ensure that you negotiate thoroughly with the auto transport company to get the best rates

How long will it take to ship my car from California to New York (and vice versa)

The drivers from the auto transport company will be driving a distance of nearly 2,900 miles, crossing about 10 states. They will be crossing Ohio, St. Louis Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Texas, Arizona, and then finally to California.

Assuming that a driver drives a distance of 350 miles in a day, they will be able to ship my car from New York to California within 8-10 days. However, this is the best-case scenario and does not include any delays that might occur due to stormy changes in the weather and unexpected breakdowns in the middle of nowhere. 

Shipping a car from California to New York is a long drive and only an experienced, trained, and professional team of auto transporters can help you get your vehicle to its destination in the shortest possible time. 

How does the process of shipping a car from California to New York work?

Although the process of shipping a car from California to New York is pretty simple, it can be stressful for first-time movers. Here is a quick breakdown of what happens, to help you understand the process: 

• You start with finding auto transport companies that operate on the California to New York or New York to California route. 
• You tell them all the details about the transportation, including the minutest details about your car, the date and timing of when it should be picked up, the date and timing of when it should be delivered, and other details like insurance.
• The auto transport company will then give you their best quote and tell you how much to ship a car from California to New York. 
• You can either accept the quote, or negotiate if you feel there is room for negotiation.
• After a price has been agreed upon, you will then sign a Bill of Lading on the day the car is to be picked up. This will be done right after you and a representative from the auto transport company assesses the car for any existing damages.
• The car will be picked up and will begin the journey of shipping the car from California to New York or vice versa. 
• The car will then be delivered to the address you had mentioned at the time of pick up. You will re-assess the car for any damages and sign the Bill of Lading to accept the delivery of the car.

How to find the best auto transport company to ship a car from California to New York

To find the best auto transport company to ship car from California to New York, you can follow the following steps:

1. Get in touch with auto transport companies that have been in the business for a considerable amount of years and have the requisite experience to ship car from New York to California in the safest and shortest way possible. 
2. Check the company for references and ensure that you check out their customer reviews. 
3. Give them all the details about your car and date and time of transportation. 
4. If possible, give them your estimated budget and ask them for a quote in that budget. This will help eliminate the question of how much to ship car from New York to California. 
5. Ensure that you negotiate well when it comes to ship my car from California to New York and settle on the lowest rate possible. 

FAQs regarding shipping a car from California to New York (and vice versa)

What is the insurance cover that the auto transport company provides?

All auto transport companies in the country are bound by the law to provide insurance to cover the car in transit. So you can rest assured about your car being insured for any damages while it is being transported.

Do I have to be present at the delivery location?

It is not mandatory for you to be present at the delivery or the pick-up location, however, it is recommended that you do so. You can assign anyone else who is over the age of 18 years to do the deed in your place.

What paperwork is needed to ship a car from New York to California and vice versa?

You will not be required to get any documents while the car is in transit. However, it is recommended you have the car purchase and insurance documents handy. 

How can I pay for the auto transport service?

You can choose from a wide variety of payment options like credit or debit cards, good old cash, or even wallet payments like PayPal among other online payment mediums.

Pros and cons of moving to California

Pros: 

• Terrific weather 
• Good amount of sunshine and mild winters
• Ample job opportunities
• Diversity
• Amazing food

Cons:

• The frequency of wildfires 
• Drought at many times of the year
• Skyrocketing taxes
• High cost of living 
• The traffic can be a nightmare

Pros and cons of moving to New York

Pros: 

• You can make it big in any sector you desire
• One of the safest places to live in 
• Great exposure to great culture and arts 
• Diversity and networking
• Lush green public parks and efficient public transportation

Cons: 

• Skyrocketing rents and property rates 
• High cost of living
• Extreme humidity in summers and biting cold in winters
• Extremely crowded city 
• One of the dirtiest cities in America

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